Newsletter March 2015 www.shaareyhayam.org. Page 1 Message from the Rabbi March 2015 Dear friends, Did you know that the Reform Movement was the first Jewish denomination? That’s right. It wasn’t Orthodox Judaism, as some people think. To be sure, throughout Jewish history there have been geographical differences in liturgy, observance, music. We tend to think of these differences largely divided between the Ashkenazic and Sephardic styles, but there were many others as well. In each of the increasingly far-flung communities in which they lived, Jews developed their own style, customs, blessings, and ‘right” way to do things. But as they were more often than not denied access to the institutions and professions of their surrounding communities, Judaism tended to stay inward- focused. The dawning of our Reform Movement initiated a change that animated all of Judaism and continues to do so today. The Reform Movement, begun in the early part of the 19th century in Germany, was initially a worship and liturgical revolution. Jews, increasingly freed from the ghetto, were making their way into the non-Jewish world – socially, in business and academia. They were assimilating rapidly, they were busy in that world, and worship services were competition for their time and attention. Services were often very long and in Hebrew, a language not understood by the majority of Jews. In addition, now that Jews were exposed to the new worlds of science, secular philosophy, history and literature, some of the old theology expressed in traditional Jewish liturgy simply no longer resonated. So the early Reformers worked to create worship that honored the past but also reflected newly-acquired knowledge and insight from the modern world. Traditional yeshiva curricula were expanded to include secular subjects like mathematics, the science, literature and language. The rationale for these changes was quite simple: if Jews could use modern culture to make Judaism more beautiful and more meaningful, then Jews wouldn’t have to give up Judaism in order to live and succeed in the modern world. The early Reformers called their experiments in bringing Judaism up-to-date “Reform” because they were “reforming” ghetto Judaism to fit a free, modern society. Other changes followed. The traditional belief in a personal Messiah gave way to the notion of a Messianic Age. Religious education was expanded to include girls. The Reform Movement began to see itself as descendants of the biblical prophets who had called for the righteous treatment of society’s most vulnerable members – the elderly, sick, poor and orphaned – and became passionately engaged with tikkun olam, the repair of the world. They shifted the emphasis from belief to action, a balance that has continued to be debated for the last 200 years. Nonetheless, Reform pioneered what today we call liberal Judaism. It brought democracy into Judaism in ways never tried before, respecting the right of well-informed Jews to think for themselves and use their God-given intellect in making decisions about belief and practice. I grew up as Reform Jew in what seemed to me to be the most vital religious tradition I could imagine. One of the greatest days of my life was May 16, 1999, when I was ordained as a Reform rabbi. Since then I’ve worked for the Reform Movement in two congregations, our national organization, the Union for Reform Judaism, and now our seminary, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. I’ve served all these institutions with immense pride. So it causes me tremendous frustration and sorrow when I hear this statement: “Rabbi, I grew up very Reform.” I react the way I do because when I hear people describe themselves as “very Reform,” what they usually mean is “Reform equals practically nothing.” But that’s not “very” Reform, not even a little Reform. Reform has never been a license to throw away Judaism. On the contrary, Reform is a commitment to consider Judaism seriously and to live it with integrity. Why? Because religion taken seriously is the most liberating force there is. It strips things down to their essentials, weeding out the trivial and offering
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Newsletter March 2015 www.shaareyhayam.org.
Page 1
Message from the Rabbi
March 2015 Dear friends,
Did you know that the Reform Movement was the
first Jewish denomination? That’s right. It wasn’t
Orthodox Judaism, as some people think. To be
sure, throughout Jewish history there have been
geographical differences in liturgy, observance,
music. We tend to think of these differences largely
divided between the Ashkenazic and Sephardic
styles, but there were many others as well. In each
of the increasingly far-flung communities in which
they lived, Jews developed their own style, customs,
blessings, and ‘right” way to do things. But as they
were more often than not denied access to the
institutions and professions of their surrounding
communities, Judaism tended to stay inward-
focused. The dawning of our Reform Movement
initiated a change that animated all of Judaism and
continues to do so today. The Reform Movement,
begun in the early part of the 19th century in
Germany, was initially a worship and liturgical
revolution. Jews, increasingly freed from the ghetto,
were making their way into the non-Jewish world –
socially, in business and academia. They were
assimilating rapidly, they were busy in that world,
and worship services were competition for their
time and attention. Services were often very long
and in Hebrew, a language not understood by the
majority of Jews. In addition, now that Jews were
exposed to the new worlds of science, secular
philosophy, history and literature, some of the old
theology expressed in traditional Jewish liturgy
simply no longer resonated. So the early Reformers
worked to create worship that honored the past but
also reflected newly-acquired knowledge and
insight from the modern world. Traditional yeshiva
curricula were expanded to include secular subjects
like mathematics, the science, literature and
language. The rationale for these changes was quite
simple: if Jews could use modern culture to make
Judaism more beautiful and more meaningful, then
Jews wouldn’t have to give up Judaism in order to
live and succeed in the modern world. The early
Reformers called their experiments in bringing
Judaism up-to-date “Reform” because they were
“reforming” ghetto Judaism to fit a free, modern
society.
Other changes followed. The traditional belief in a
personal Messiah gave way to the notion of a
Messianic Age. Religious education was expanded
to include girls. The Reform Movement began to
see itself as descendants of the biblical prophets
who had called for the righteous treatment of
society’s most vulnerable members – the elderly,
sick, poor and orphaned – and became passionately
engaged with tikkun olam, the repair of the world.
They shifted the emphasis from belief to action, a
balance that has continued to be debated for the last
200 years. Nonetheless, Reform pioneered what
today we call liberal Judaism. It brought democracy
into Judaism in ways never tried before, respecting
the right of well-informed Jews to think for
themselves and use their God-given intellect in
making decisions about belief and practice.
I grew up as Reform Jew in what seemed to me to
be the most vital religious tradition I could imagine.
One of the greatest days of my life was May 16,
1999, when I was ordained as a Reform rabbi. Since
then I’ve worked for the Reform Movement in two
congregations, our national organization, the Union
for Reform Judaism, and now our seminary,
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
I’ve served all these institutions with immense
pride. So it causes me tremendous frustration and
sorrow when I hear this statement: “Rabbi, I grew
up very Reform.” I react the way I do because when
I hear people describe themselves as “very
Reform,” what they usually mean is “Reform equals
practically nothing.” But that’s not “very” Reform,
not even a little Reform. Reform has never been a
license to throw away Judaism. On the contrary,
Reform is a commitment to consider Judaism
seriously and to live it with integrity. Why?
Because religion taken seriously is the most
liberating force there is. It strips things down to
their essentials, weeding out the trivial and offering
Newsletter March 2015 www.shaareyhayam.org.
Page 2
pathways and answers to life’s greatest challenges.
While I honor the religious choices that others
make, for me, Reform Judaism does this best.
So I am “very” Reform. I take Shabbat seriously. I
attend worship services regularly. I study Jewish
subjects on an ongoing basis. I keep a form of
kashrut that, for me, is ethically principled. What I
do is not the province of rabbis or Jewish
professionals alone. It is your tradition to claim too.
Our Reform worship services, for instance, follow
the traditional structure and format of Jewish
liturgy. But the prayers are made more relevant to
contemporary Jews by the addition of beautiful
poetry and prose, careful translation and
enlightened interpretation. For me, the most
important thing about kashrut is that my eating
reflects a moral response to food production, animal
welfare and the rights of workers – ethical
standards, by the way, which I learned from
Judaism. And so on. Each of the ancient Abrahamic
religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – has
had to wrestle with the challenge of honoring its
past while at the same time figuring out how to live
in the modern world. The Reformation and the
Enlightenment were the outcomes of such internal
struggles; today, of course, this struggle is being
played out most dramatically within Islam.
So my message this month is that you can be “very”
Reform by taking your Judaism seriously. This
month four members of our community – Syble
Bleiweis, Joan Silverman, Wendi Higgins and
Rosalie Donadio – have embarked on a journey to
do just that. They have committed themselves to
studying and learning and thinking in our first ever
bat mitzvah program for adults. Although the end
point will be a Shabbat morning service that they
lead, the real meaning of the program is the serious
engagement with Judaism that culminates in that
service. I consider such a commitment to be “very”
Reform. I hope you’ll consider being this kind of
“very Reform” too. Ask me if you’d like some ideas
on how to get started.
Have a very good month!
Rabbi Kim S. Geringer
President’s Message Hello all, As we enter the month within which the spring season will begin, I am sure many of you wish to put this winter behind us. Not only has the weather been harsher than normal, it seems many of our congregants have faced personal challenges and difficulties; whether illness, accidents or passing of family members, these instances have seemed far more frequent than usual over the last several months. So to those of you having faced difficulties such as these recently, I wish to send you condolences get wells and feel betters. Know also at times like these, you have an entire community supporting you. This is an important advantage of being part of our Temple, a return for having made the effort to contribute to something larger than any of us can have individually. Let us all look forward to the warm weather.
Philip Miller
January Dates in Jewish History
1492 January 2, GRENADA (Spain) The last
Moorish stronghold was overrun, adding even
more Jews to Catholic Spain. Under the terms of
surrender, the Jewish inhabitants were
promised protection by the King and Queen.
Within a few months the razing of the Jewish
quarter was ordered by Ferdinand.
On January 4, 1915, Moses Alexander, the first
practicing Jew to be elected governor in the
United States, was sworn into that position in
Boise, Idaho. This was the first of two two-year
terms served by Alexander, a Boise businessman
and former mayor of that city. He was to
introduce Prohibition to this region well ahead
of the rest of America – but also to fight for the
Newsletter March 2015 www.shaareyhayam.org.
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CONGREGATION SHA’AREY HA-YAM BOARD OF TRUSTEES President Philip Miller 609-698-3933 [email protected] 1st Vice President Philip Altland 609-492-2751 [email protected] 2nd Vice President Wendi Higgins 732-232-1861 [email protected] Secretary Rosalie Donadio 609-296-0408 [email protected] Treasurer Ernie Bleiweis 609-978-4240 [email protected] Financial Secretary Cyndy Friedland 609-698-4459 [email protected] Board of Trustees at Large Dayna Otto 609-597-3239 [email protected] Charles Flum 732-228-7991 [email protected] Past President Aaron Shapiro 609-242-2390 [email protected]
Yahrzeits בראבא יתגדל
March 1 Ken Schwitz, Cousin of Hope Gardiner
March 15 Sam Salstein, Father of Evelyn Sullivan
March 17 Rose Rosenberg, Grandmother of Philip Miller
March 27 Yetta Grossman, Mother of Fran Breese
May the memories of our loved ones be a blessing.
Loved ones be for a blessing
From the bottom of my heart and
with all the warmth and gratitude this heart can
hold, Mike and I thank you for the get well cards
& calls you have sent. I need you all to know
how much they each lifted my spirit when “spirit
lifting” was the medicine I needed. Your
thoughts, prayers and good wishes were heard
and in no small way are responsible for my being
on the road to recovery.
With lots a love ‘n hugs ‘n kisses..
Dolly Weiss
Newsletter March 2015 www.shaareyhayam.org.
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March Birthdays 01 Gary Daley 04 Jack Crespy 05 Marlene Feldhuhn 05 Emily Miller 06 Charles Flum 10 Joan Silverman 10 Phyllis Feather 13 Aaron Shapiro 17 Stanley Jackson 21 Michael Kaplan 26 M. Leonard Feather 29 Gina Cohen 30 Danielle Jonas
Amazon Smile - When shopping at www.SMILE.Amazon.com you can designate REFORM
JEWISH COMMUNITY of BARNEGAT (there no additional fees, the congregation makes a
percentage). We have already received a check from this fundraiser :)
ShopRite Cards are always sold at services, but can be purchased anytime by contacting Dayna (609.709.9410) or Syble (609.978.4240) Tribute cards are a good way to help our Temple raise funds. They can be sent for any occasion with a minimum donation of $5.00. Please contact Syble Bleiweis (609-978-4240) or Joan Silverman (609-698-0000).
Tribute Cards Sent To Get well: To Harriet Cohen From: Cyndy Friedman and Hope Gardiner To: Rae Pack for recovery from hip
surgery From: Hope Gardiner
Temple Get Well Wishes to: Harriet Cohen
Phyllis and Stan Blum
Dolly Weiss
Harriet Cohen
March 25/1961 Judy/David Levin
Newsletter March 2015 www.shaareyhayam.org.
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TEMPLE COMMITTEES
New Members Welcome Temple Committees Chair/Members
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Choir
Philip Altland Cyndy Friedland, Wendi Higgins, Pat
Barndt, Madelyn Dunn, Robert Dunn, Syble Bleiweis, Rena Kreisler
Finance Treasurer, Financial Secretary, President
Fundraising Dayna Otto Pat Barndt, Syble Bleiweis, Bari Cohen,
Madelyn Dunn, Cyndy Friedland,
Wendi Higgins, Joan Silverman, Blanche Spiegel
Greeters Hope Gardiner Pat Barndt, Syble Bleiweis,
Wendi Higgins, Thelma Polon
Hospital Visits Jack Crespy
Membership Cyndy Friedland Syble Bleiweis, Joan Silverman
Music Philip Altland Stan Jackson
Newsletter Rose Jackson Hope Gardiner
Oneg & Dinners Madelyn Dunn Pat Barndt, Wendi Higgins
Publicity Cyndy Friedland
Religious School Cyndy Friedland/ Phil Miller
Ritual
Allan Levy Charles Flum
Philip Altland , Stan Jackson
Sunshine Syble Bleiweis Ruth Schlyen, Phyllis Blum,
Harriet Cohen
Tributes Syble Bleiweis
Yahrzeits Harriet Cohen
2015 Services Dates
Friday, March 6, 7:30pm
Friday, March 20, 7:30pm
Saturday, April 4th Second night Seder
Friday, April 17, 7:30pm
Friday, May 8, 7:30pm
Friday, May 22, 7:30pm
Friday, June 5, 7:30pm
Friday, June 26, 7:30pm
Sympathy: To Ernie Bleiweis on the loss of his brother,
Hugh, beloved husband, father,and grandfather
From: Board Members ---Congregation Sha'arey Ha-Yam,
Joan and Terry Silverman, Joyce and John Scranton,
Hope Gardiner
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